Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku

It was full of vibrancy in the downtown area that no major power in this country would take a pull.

The morning market stands and various shops begin to connect. There is a wealth of it, from food to clothing to shops dealing with precious metals, and it is not in Alpha that you will first see it densely in one of these large cities.

I notice something there. The narrow places and buildings meet, and the paved roads are narrow.

Yes, there are seven countries. [Balmes] has a narrower territory than other countries. Besides, since the population remains the same, is it the characteristic of Balmes that has a high density rate?

There was a place that accumulated a dark atmosphere that was very different from the bustle similar to the hustle and bustle.

It is exactly as far away from the outside world as a single wall. It is the headquarters of the Balmes army. Every country has also recently built its headquarters in the outside world. It goes without saying that this is a placement that puts the people first.

Though only Balmes has built thick iron walls between its headquarters and its protective walls.

It is something that is likely to be heard, usually, by some military personnel, even though the number of magicians is low, it is not extremely low because it has always been manageable.

It shouldn't be, but it's neglected within the military headquarters, and I feel somewhere idle. All the magicians' faces passing through face down, shade falling as if stained with despair.

They knew why. No, not exactly informed, but predictable.

The anticipation was consistent with all those packing in headquarters. And unfortunately I could say I was almost in the middle of it.

midday in the morning.

Seven days have passed since the meeting took place.

Army headquarters, there were two people in that room exchanging information.

In everything, there was a room with visible leather, a large square room with space in the center. That would also be because shelves and little trinkets are naughty on the wall.

The sofa for the visitors hung three people, but apart from that, a round table placed in the space behind the sofa, each sitting in a two-legged chair, the two facing each other.

On the table was open a map of the outside, or outside, than Balmes. Although described in detail, dotted lines are drawn in a different color from a certain range. I didn't enlarge or anything. It's simply untapped. Not just Balmes. The world map hasn't been updated in over a hundred years.

One of the two rugged faces is Führer Balmes, Hortal Qui Balmes. I cut my hair short and thin to a good width body. Exactly a middle-aged man. He looked warm, but his eyes stood ready to do anything for his native Balmes.

"Gagarid, like you said, I've attached your consent to the solicitation at the meeting."

"Thank you. Dear Mr. Hortal"

Fold your hips in the back. The man called Gagarid looks old compared to Hortal.

However, the body was even likely to have a uniform for the army.

It's a martial arts body to look at and see with a tight glance at the short haircut.

Gagarid holds the post of Chief Military Commander, Governor of Balmes.

Gagarid would have had to come to Hortal shortly after the meeting, but the status quo could not have left the military headquarters. As a result, it became a situation where the hortar went out, but it must be understandable.

"What happened to the investigation team more than that, it still didn't work?

With a bitter face, Hortal asks. It's so important that you can't help asking.

The two surrounded the round table face-to-face, Gagarid laid her eyes down and shook her neck sideways.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean!!

Banging the table, the fireflies rattle their teeth.

"... I also lost contact with the investigation team, and no one returned"

"Be-!!"

Eyes narrowed so as to stare open to the limit, a beat and the fireflies are more likely on the back of the chair as if relieved.

It happened two months ago. Outside, a report came in from a returning squad that there was a deposit near 20 km northeast of Balmes.

It didn't take that long to find out that past materials, terrain, and metal lumps I took home were misrills. It was unknown how much reserves there were, but it's not hard to imagine it could lead to terrible profits for Balmes.

Hortal and Gagarid quickly formed a squad and introduced an unparalleled high-ranking magician in the past. Among them, he started the only single magician, Duncal, and also incorporated his former single and now 20th place Gilead.

Nearly 300 magicians were introduced to sweep demons up to the deposits and secure areas of the deposits.

It was possible that a high-rate demon was lurking in advance exploration, but mobilizing all this magician should not have been enough to take it.

"The last time I heard from the Crusaders,"

"Fourteen days ago."

"What's the survival rate?"

"…………… a few percent"

Gagarid couldn't say zero even though he thought that was all either.

Total annihilation, that's all I can say.

"The magician we've mobilized this time is equivalent to 70% of Balmes' power."

…………

Hortal drops his gaze on the table and picks his eyeballs hard.

"We should still request cooperation from other countries"

"Dear Hortal, then Balmes takes a toll on all nations... then puppets of other countries"

"But Balmes is going to be in crisis as it is: 300 magicians... no, no, it doesn't have to be everything. It's supposed to be devastating damage, if there was a demon who caused such a tragedy... it won't be just a threat to Balmes"

"I was wondering if you'd be worried about that so far. The battle is seen near the deposit, and the investigation team is also out of communication around it. Which means the demons aren't moving."

"That being said, it's the same thing that can't be dealt with when it moves."

"Of course I agree. But as long as you have time, you can gather magicians, and you have to restore the power of your country first."

"You shouldn't have time to say that for so many years."

"The highest rate confirmed on that occasion should be six A's, you can't be optimistic, but given that some Duncals are there, the winning rate is 100%......"

Hortal opened his mouth roughly as he sputtered without even trying to hide his frustration.

"Then why is no one coming back! Why didn't you report it?

"Can't move, or..."

Gagarid teases the worst. We have to assume more than that is likely.

"What the hell happened? Either way, it sucks, we just have to ask Klama"

"Gagarid!!

Hortal raised a voice similar to reprimand to the forbidden word.

"Not if you care about your health. They'll exist, and they'll just be better off moving with gold. Seven countries could even be six, knowing this ugliness in other countries and receiving asylum."

"That's not all I can do!

An organization called Klama exists. The constituents are from various and large-scale magic criminals, former single-number strippers.

Although he's on the blacklist as a magic criminal organization, the five magicians in the executive are said to be comparable to singles, so he can't get his hands on them. Above all, we don't even know where Klama is based.

Then why is it not yet devastated? That's the problem with the way an organization called Klama is. Klama undertakes the work behind each country with just remuneration without committing the crime of what is accepting criminals. Heavy towns sometimes have faces, especially Balmes and Hydrange, which are small and weak countries, are believed to have connections. Neither does it mean that the Führer is involved.

But in this case, Hortal thought it would be more ugly to rely on such a group of criminals. If you just apply mud to the face of Hortal, the Führer, it will still be a stain on Balmes, no doubt.

Not to mention criminals who don't know what they're going to do. It is not surprising that the country is consumed from within as well as from extrajudicial rewards. Speaking of just rewards. How far can I trust my criminal opponents...... no, I can't trust them from the end.

"Gagarid, you!

"It's something I can't help but fix. Some nobles in Balmes have a relationship. Of course they thought of Balmes. Sure, in the past, there was no certainty of Klama, but there were times when I asked for help."

There was no evil, and the Hortal was always up in the brain as one of the last resorts in anger to the Governor who lined up with the Taunts. Still, reason won't let you cross the line.

Gagarid was more magically savvy than Hortal and judged the situation more serious.

It's usually an indispensable firefly for a handkerchief with sweat, but this time the cooler than that heat conveys the back.

"I decide I didn't ask about that one right now. Now you have to give priority to checking the status quo."

"Okay. But Master Hortal, you won't change my mind. I'm not the only one who can't stand Balmes becoming a country."

"I don't want it with me. That's why we have to check the status quo now. I don't know if there's a chance of survivors."

"Yeah, it's quick to give up"

Even if we tried to arrange words so as to encourage each other, their faces were also flattering to straw.

When such a conversation was interrupted, an alarm sounded to inform a communications machine installed in the corner of the desk of its reception.

Gagarid gets permission from Hortal to take a card-shaped comms machine, though depressingly.

"I thought you told him you were in a meeting."

'Excuse me. I want to tell you as soon as possible, one crusader survivor has returned. I'm being treated in the emergency room.'

"- What! I'm on my way."

I only briefly told him that someone had returned toward the hortar when I let him throw the receiver.

"May I accompany you?"

"Whatever. We'll be on our way."

Gatan and the firefly that stood up so that the chair could be played, Gagareed opened the door vigorously as it was.

"Yikes!!

A woman who was just in front of the door popped up. She fell to hit Gagareed and put her butt on.

She's an old woman dressed in a familiar uniform. Whether it came in its hands now lowered or on its way now, the contents of the glass lying down on the basin left little liquid.

"Out of the way!

"Sorry!!

The woman immediately corrected her posture and bowed her head over and over again.

Gagarid flips his body and runs away with a glimpse that it's not the other way around. Hortal follows silently thereafter.

But Gagarid, who leads the way, felt he could pull his hair back just a little bit. That was a trivial degree of discomfort, so I would spare no time even moving my legs while I turned around. If it wasn't such an emergency, I would have noticed right away... even though there was enough shock to knock it down, the lady at the service didn't drop the glass on the floor, only the sound of a cock rubbing over the basin rang slightly.

Those who saw the two faces rushing down the hallway immediately slip aside and salute. Even as naturally as early as possible. It would be obvious not to be a mess if you saw Gagarid like this, who is disciplined.

Entering the emergency room, a worn out man on the bed groaned and had healing magic applied to three magicians. Though healing magic, wounds that become fatal to such an extent as to activate cells and encourage self-healing abilities cannot be masked.

And when it comes to the man on the bed, one eye is cut three deep places with something like a blade, and I guess it was barefoot. The back of the leg is scratched and black. And where his left arm should be, the bandage was wrapped around him, and he had no arm to be ahead of him from his shoulder.

Gagarid turns his attention to one who is performing healing magic. Then the magician, sweating up his forehead, shook his neck only once, left and right.

"Bring it."

When I tell him so, he walks up to the man and asks.

"What happened? What happened to the others?"

"Why not... and..."

"What!?

I was squealed in a voice that seemed to plunder.

Gagareed put his hands on the bed and put his ears close to the man's mouth as he rode out.

Then the man opened his remaining one eye to squeeze his last force and grabbed Gagarid's clothes all the way with his right hand.

"Destroyed, A-shitty, Gilead... you let me get away with it"

"Well, thank you for your hard work"

But the man didn't do anything to help out with it. The eyes moistened with tears of mourning, but he watched Gagarid powerfully.

"Jillida... from now on... so..."

Gagarid brings his ears closer. I was breathtaking not to miss a word.

"New Species...... Bad Eating (Akjiki)"

――――

Gagarid was the only one who heard the man's last words.

♢ ♢ ♢

The woman, who bumped into Gagarid, gave her a glimpse of the two backs that ran early, paying off the hem of her uniform of service and proceeding to the other side.

Slightly shake the hair wrapped around the back. I don't see any previous upset on that face.

Hold the basin in one hand and turn your consciousness toward the right ear hidden in your hair when you grasp that no one is there.

"That was Sir Visaist, well worth the hurry"

"With the help of Lord Lynne."

He also told me that the voice beyond the comms set in his ear was harvesting.

"The power of science also helps"

"Yeah, that's not insulting."

Lynne kept a bug in her clothes when she bumped into Gagarid.

There are measures in place to avoid being noticed.

"Exactly because Gagarid's room had magic bugging and other measures in place."

Lynne's eyes won't even eavesdrop if she can peek. That's why he was using a simple machine to bug the conversation inside. If it's a visaist on this scene, that's possible, but to infiltrate, the face of the war will be badly conspicuous. In terms of ease of infiltration, the supply is easy, and Lynne, who is a woman, can get around well, so it's the right material.

"Let's meet up once."

"Then at the planned inn"

Communication is broken.

Lynne plays the service and walks gracefully down the hallway, even naturally.

That night, intelligence agents were gathered in one room in an old inn near downtown.

A total of seven of them added Lynne to the squad's captain, Visaist, and five of his elite men.

"You stink."

The visaist saw the extraordinary speculation from the eavesdropping as correct. Unfortunately, science is not omnipotent, and the last conversation was when the voice of the man who returned was too small to be heard.

When you rub your jaw and create a tannic surface, turn your consciousness toward the room that you should hear the report first.

"There seems to be no doubt that the crusaders have been formed as well. It's just all kinds of speculation."

"We've explored downtown, but mostly... no, there's not as much information flowing downtown as there is good to say about everything"

"So you're blocking information."

Visaists organize and delay thoughts.

"I still can't get to the exact point with this. Ten, eight, nine, black."

"What will you do, Sir Visaist? Do you want to go outside and check?"

Lynne will try to make a one-off suggestion. It feels reckless, but it's also the quickest. I wasn't overconfident in my eyes, but I had an estimate that I could handle it.

"No, let's not do that. I'm not questioning Lord Lynne's strength, but he's too risky in the present situation, where he's not fully equipped for a few."

"Okay."

"Lord Lynne, I hear you're due until the Magic Goodwill Games of the Seven Kingdoms, but are you sure?

"Yes, I hope I can bring some information back by then"

"That would be difficult."

The visaist's eyes turned to one of his men.

"Yes. As expected by the captain. Security near the border is increasing. He doesn't seem to be a magician."

"I mean. I guess you're trying not to leak it out of the country. If possible, we should all pull out at once."

The trip could have been illegally immigrated using a nobleman whom I know as a visaist, but it is also supposed to be a help only when I enter the country. Some of them include the illegality of having been licensed to Balmes. It was also thanks to that that Lynne was able to infiltrate the military headquarters.

"Then get as much detailed information as you can by the due date. As a matter of urgency, it's the number of demons, especially the number of A-rates that are supposedly present in six. Gilead is likely dead in the crusade. I didn't know where the body was, but don't forget Duncal 9th. Lord Lynne will have you lurking at HQ like this."

"Okay."

Visaists communicate the need to pay attention to another material of concern.

"Lord Lynne, call me as soon as Krama's request is in full force... and I will withdraw it at that time"

"I don't know the name Klama, is that it?"

"They're crazy. There can't be no crime by bringing in criminals. That's about the top of the blacklist in Alpha. It's an organization that has no certainty but is likely to be pulling a thread behind a magic crime. Those troublesome people who are just first-degree criminals, and with the help of those guys, maybe Balmes isn't the only one who can help."

"I'll remember the liver."

"Please."

So much so that we are constantly suspecting Klama's involvement first and foremost when terrorism and large-scale magic crimes occur.

The visaist ordered one of his men to secure an escape route.

(Do you pray that the top of Balmes will not commit foolishness)

"Gather information about mineral deposits as well"

"Captain, is that location information?"

"No, I found out thanks to Lord Lynne that I could take a misrill, but I also want the scale and so on. There may also be demons in the deposits."

Lynne perceives the visaist's expectations.

"That means it could be undetectable if it's inside the deposits."

"There's that too."

The visaist opened his mouth in retrospect.

"Sometimes when it comes to mineral deposits, it's the place in question. But there's a little bit of a hook."

"Say?

Everyone on this scene, whether Lynne or not, had their gaze on the visaist.

"It's unusual to have six A rates in the same place. Not to mention a distance of 20 km."

The A-rate demons never flock, not to say at all, but when it comes to six...

On the contrary, it is a powerful demon with a territory. Never in the past, but at that time the higher S rate should have dominated a strip.

We were looking at the possibility that there would be s-rates in the visaist's brain.

It wasn't until a few days later that the information came in that it was actually a new kind of A-rate. If a high-ranking magician made an accurate rate discernment, no mistake, but it's not easy enough to pepper him that he was just devastated by an A rate.